I once met a Vietnamese-American who was born on the Pacific Ocean. His mother came over with the so-called "boat people" after the Vietnam War and gave birth to him while the ship was still at sea in the middle of the Pacific.

What would he put? Perhaps, Asia, but what if the ship was right on the international dateline directly between Asia and North America?

Because at first I made this poll for an English-language learning site, and there many people are from the UK... So I wanted to discern native speakers from non-native ones... And then I just copied the poll here. Have I made myself clear?

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Nelson Mandela

My philosophy is simple: saying 'yes' to the positive and 'no' to the negative.

Because at first I made this poll for an English-language learning site, and there many people are from the UK... So I wanted to discern native speakers from non-native ones... And then I just copied the poll here. Have I made myself clear?

Yep

"And do you think that unto such as you, A maggot-minded, starved, fanatic crew, God gave a secret and denied it me! Well, well—what matters it? Believe that, too!

This offering maybe right, or wrong, but it is one, the other, both, or neither!Blog,-Some Suttas Translated,Ajahn Chah."Others will misconstrue reality due to their personal perspectives, doggedly holding onto and not easily discarding them; We shall not misconstrue reality due to our own personal perspectives, nor doggedly holding onto them, but will discard them easily. This effacement shall be done."

For future reference...Oceania is so 'conceptual' as a geograpic region that its existence borders on the fictitious.I've never met anyone who has identified themselves as Oceanian, nor have I been able to identify any social, economic, political, cultural or linguistic commonalities that bind the people over the vastness of the purported area as one.Metta

Ben

Learn this from the waters:in mountain clefts and chasms,loud gush the streamlets,but great rivers flow silently.

Australia is a continent in itself - and maybe ought to have a category of its own.

No partiality here!

mettaChris

---The trouble is that you think you have time------Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe------It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---

Hello Ben and Chris. Please forgive my ignorance regarding the terms about Oceania. It's just that it is listed as one of the regions of the world here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:R ... _the_world . I could have written 'Australia' or 'Australia and New Zealand', but that would exclude all those funny little islands in the Pacific, which actually is not a big deal...

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Nelson Mandela

My philosophy is simple: saying 'yes' to the positive and 'no' to the negative.

Chris wrote:Australia is a continent in itself - and maybe ought to have a category of its own.

Does that mean that since Tasmania is not geographically connected (above sea level) to the continent of Australia that we can finally declare that Tasmania is not part of Australia?!

Metta,Retro.

If you have asked me of the origination of unease, then I shall explain it to you in accordance with my understanding: Whatever various forms of unease there are in the world, They originate founded in encumbering accumulation. (Pārāyanavagga)

Exalted in mind, just open and clearly aware, the recluse trained in the ways of the sages:One who is such, calmed and ever mindful, He has no sorrows! -- Udana IV, 7